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In these highly tense political times, it's hardly unusual for someone to seize on something innocuous to hype it for partisan gain (e.g., the War on Christmas). The only thing unusual about the Pulaski (Wisc.) High School marching band's choice of music for its Tournament of Roses parade appearance was that the alleged use of a old Woody Guthrie song wasn't portrayed by the right as a moment of outrage, but by the left as a moment of triumph. Alas, as with the War on Christmas and other kerfuffles about nothing, there is politics found where politics doesn't exist.

During the Jan. 2 parade in Pasadena, Calif., the Pulaski band, in the middle of its traditional rendition of state song "On Wisconsin," suddenly broke into a funky dance while playing a funkier tune. The key moment comes at 1:15.

The morning of Jan. 3, a blogger at the liberal site Daily Kos excitedly posted that the song Pulaski had slipped in the middle was Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid." Blogger AnnieJo writes, "Listen to the announcers -- they have no idea what's going on, what the tune is, what statement is being made here." Yes, it is amazing that parade hosts for HGTV are not up on their union songbook. For those who share their ignorance, the lyrics go a little something like this:

There once was a union maid, She never was afraid Of goons and ginks and company finks And the deputy sheriffs who made the raid She went to the union hall, When a meeting it was called And when the company boys came round She always stood her ground

Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union I'm sticking to the union till the day I die

Guthrie wrote the song in 1940, in the hall of the Oklahoma City Communist Party, and it was performed, by Guthrie and Pete Seeger, for a group of striking oil workers the night it was written, according to The Nation. Yes, it's hard to imagine now that Oklahoma once had liberals, much less Communists and striking workers. Here is Seeger performing the song in 1963:

Anyway, why would a small-town Wisconsin band slip in a union anthem? Well, perhaps because of the blowups in the state as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican minions have tried to bust unions, including (or especially) teachers' unions. Pulaski itself trends Democratic in voting, and as the Walker backlash led to numerous state Senate recall races in 2011, it was part of a district where the incumbent Democrat held off a Republican recall attempt, a backlash to the backlash. "If the marching band is any indication, Scott Walker is in some serious trouble," wrote The Nation's Dave Zirin.

However, if Walker is in trouble (and he's facing his own recall attempt in 2012), the marching band may not be a factor. Pulaski Superintendent Mel Lightner said the choice of music was not a political. In fact, the song wasn't "Union Maid." Instead, he said it was a "Red Wing Polka," a 1907 song originally written as merely "Red Wing" by Thurland Chattaway and Kerry Mills. Lightner said the polka version is a favorite of the grandmother of Pulaski band director D. Thomas Busch, and a nod to Pulaski's Polish heritage. It's a song about an "Indian maid" named Redwing pining for lost love, and it's been versatile enough to have a country version performed by David Allan Coe, an easy-listening version played on "The Lawrence Welk Show," and a surf-rock version done by the Ventures. I'll let this guy on accordion give you the polka version, which Guthrie rewrote for his "Union Maid."

By the way, "Red Wing Polka" is itself based on another piece: "The Happy Farmer," written by Robert Schumann in 1849.

Anyone with the slightest streak of rebellion has to be thrilled at the idea that a high school marching band would subtly stick it to Scott Walker, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Koch Brothers. Alas, that doesn't appear to be so. I'm hoping I hear otherwise if Busch, the Pulaski band director, responds to my email, but I'm not holding out hope (that the song is a slap against Walker, and that my email gets returned.)

But there is evidence to back up the superintendent's contention. Busch has polka roots, playing in a polka band. Also, the appearance of the tune, whatever it was, was no surprise -- the Pulaski band played it live on a Green Bay news program before its departure to Pasadena. Helping the case that it's "Red Wing Polka" -- the two accordionists in the marching band, and the polka dancers in front of it.

Whatever the political purpose, or lack thereof, I would join Daily Kos blogger AnnieJo in this statement:

However you want to interpret the selections, there's no denying that the Pulaski Red Raiders Marching Band did a fantastic job in the parade, and represented Wisconsin well. If you would like to donate to defray the cost of their Rose Bowl trip ($300,000 all told!), please do so at [this link]... .